1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to implements and apparatus for applying pushing or pulling forces, and more particularly to a hoist pulling on a cable with one or more cable drums, cable guides and plural cables. Most particularly, the invention pertains to a multiple cable lift which is configured to elevate and store motorized equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
An old adage states that a person's possessions grow to fill the available space, and nowhere is this more true than in the garages of most persons. With precious little land area and high costs for expanded building square footage, many homeowners and renters find themselves without adequate space for the tools, equipment and vehicles that they wish to provide shelter and secure storage for. Consequently, there has always been a need for ways to provide more organized or efficient storage which will readily accommodate the equipment and tools, while not placing either the equipment or the owner at risk of harm.
Certain types of equipment and vehicles have presented more difficult challenges over time. One such example is the case of a snowmobile, which has only skis and track, neither which are well-suited for ready movement about concrete or similar garage flooring. Consequently, placement of the snowmobile is preferably made with the intent not to have to move the snowmobile to gain access to other items within the garage or storage building. However, the snowmobile takes up a substantial amount of floor space and yet extends only nominally vertically above the floor. Consequently, it is desirable to provide a way to elevate the snowmobile, and then either use the space below the snowmobile for work area or for the storage of additional equipment or vehicles. The need to find such storage increases with the increasing numbers of snowmobiles owned by a person, since, without other arrangement, available floor space will rapidly be consumed with only a few snowmobiles. Similar problems and considerations may be found with much recreational and other outdoor power equipment, including boats, personal watercraft, all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers, recreational vehicles, utility vehicles, lawn and garden tractors, and other transportation and entertainment related equipment, though the extent of the problem may be somewhat less consequential than with snowmobiles.
As a corollary to the primary issue of space, there is also a general need to inspect, adjust and service many of these vehicles and related sporting equipment from the underside. Tasks as basic as changing oil, tires, skis or the like can be difficult when the vehicle remains supported upon itself. Consequently, it has long been desired to provide an apparatus which benefits a user with more efficient storage space and also enables improved access for servicing and inspection. Additional needs arise in the retail display of units, particularly snowmobiles, where the track is relatively difficult or impossible to view when the snowmobile is on the ground. Similarly, the large showroom floor space required to display an assortment of snowmobiles adversely affects snowmobile dealers.
Conventional hoists, which utilize one or more lifts and supports that extend from the lift under the vehicle have been proposed. Unfortunately, the underbody support required by these types of lifts often times interferes with the desired underbody access. Furthermore, with the very diverse types of bodies and undercarriages that exist in the list of vehicles and equipment, it is nearly impossible to provide a support structure that will truly work on many diverse models and designs. Unfortunately, when the lift does not securely engage with the vehicle, the lifting mechanism either cannot engage the vehicle properly, or the vehicle could fall from the lift, damaging both the vehicle and any persons under or near to the vehicle. Ramps, rails and the like tend to suffer from the same access limitation, often completely preventing access to an underbody or similarly positioned servicing and inspection location.
A variety of patents chronicle the extensive development that has taken place over so many years, including for example an early patent to Sandy, U.S. Pat. No. 471,900, which illustrates a winch structure for pulling two ropes used to lift a wagon body or the like. Other patents include U.S. Pat. No. 1,259,942 by Weaver, which illustrates a vehicle hoist that straddles one end of the vehicle or other object to raise it up for maintenance; U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,218 by Lamer, which illustrates a mobile boat hoist; U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,702 by Campbell which illustrates a lifting system for bicycle storage; U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,466 by Mason; U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,972 by Cummins et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,038 by Sheahan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,196 by Beattie et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,504 by Mangum; U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,659 by Heidle; U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,597 to Egan; U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,274 to Naas et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,022 by Lob et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,515 to Sachtleben. Nevertheless, these patents fail to illustrate or teach the desired storage and service access capabilities that have been sought after for so many years, nor a way to implement such capabilities with well-suited and synergistic materials and components.